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12 Creative Kitchen Tile Backsplash Ideas

Backsplashes are a necessity for kitchens, not only to keep your painted walls clean but also to add a unique design touch to a space you’re going to spend a whole lot of time. From bold pops of color to graphic patterns, tile can take your kitchen to a whole new level – kind of like adding a bit of jewelry to the room. Long gone are the days where you had few tile choices to pick from and we prove it here with these 12 creative options for kitchen backsplashes.

03.25.14 | By
12 Creative Kitchen Tile Backsplash Ideas

clé’s Container Tiles, designed by John Whitmarsh, are cut from actual shipping containers! Talk about eco-friendly… They’re perfect for adding an industrial element into the space.

Photo by Tia Borgsmidt

Photo by Tia Borgsmidt

Featuring traditional Japanese patterns, these tiles from Made a Mano take backsplashes in a whole new direction. They’ve laid out different patterns creating a patchwork effect.

Photo by Paul Raeside

Photo by Paul Raeside

So many pattern options can come about even when you stick to a simple black and white color scheme. A graphic, zig zag pattern was created in this kitchen simply by laying the tiles out a certain way. The shape even mimics that of the wall shelf above it.

Creative-Kitchen-Backsplash-Made-a-Mano

Using various Made a Mano rectangular tiles with patterns and colors, the tiles are laid out to create horizontal stripes up the wall.

Creative-Kitchen-Backsplash-Jute-zigzag

To jazz up this mostly white kitchen, Jute Interior Design used zig zag tiles in varying shades of green and white to cover the backsplash.

Creative-Kitchen-Backsplash-mosaic-Marazzi

Italian tile manufacturer Marazzi designed this kitchen with their Block monochromatic mosaic tile in various graphic patterns.

Copyright Wilsonart

Copyright Wilsonart

While not technically tile, this chevron backsplash was created by Wilsonart using their laminates. The Calcutta Marble and Pearl Soapstone laminates are laid out to look as if they are expensive marble tiles. You’d never know they were made from laminate!

Creative-Kitchen-Backsplash-Crittenden-white

Drawing Dept added texture to this kitchen’s back wall using Walker Zanger’s Fretwork Pattern Interlocking Field tiles in white. The design brings a classic element to a modern kitchen.

Photo - Sean Fennessy, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Photo – Sean Fennessy, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Utilizing graphic tiles from Jatana Interiors, this home in Sydney went for a bold black and white pattern to enhance their simple, modern kitchen.

You’ll never go wrong with a classic herringbone pattern. Generally you see it on the floor but we love how they carried it to the backsplash and used a darker grout – it makes the pattern pop!

Creative-Kitchen-Backsplash-Skateboards

A loft in Hollywood, California is decked out with recycled skateboards that the Art of Board turns into art tiles. The bright graphics might not be for everyone but they sure are fun.

A backsplash made up of solid bronze Basic tiles, from Rocky Mountain Hardware, in various sizes and patinas creates a mixed media metal look that would work with any color scheme.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.